In My Eyes
by emotionless
Summary: [IY/KAG/SESS - vote inside] Sesshoumaru can't shake a familiar figure that appears to him in his dreams. Curious, he seeks out his brother, for this girl may just be the key to his undoing. And what's this about mating?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note; Hi.  This will be my first anime fic, so please be gentle.  Any criticism or suggestions are highly appreciated but I will hate any flames, k?  Good.**

**Disclaimer; As you all well now, I do not own any of these characters.  Yet. :D**

**IN MY EYES**

**PROLOGUE**

_It was a cool, clear night.  He stood out on the balcony of his castle and surveyed the land, a satisfied twinkle in his cold eyes.  The time would soon be at hand.  He would destroy his half-breed brother for once and for all, taking the tetsusaiga and claiming it as his own.  He would be even more powerful.  He would rule all.  He would --_

_Wait.  What was that?_

_Down below, just outside the gates of his stowed away home, was a lone figure.  _

_He paused, slightly interested in the figure's arrival.  He, apart from his faithful lackeys, was the only one who had set foot on these premises in years.  Who would dare impede on his territory now?  Not even that half-demon dared to arrive at his home, especially alone._

_He waited to see if the trespasser would continue their journey forwards.  For all he knew, the stranger may just be passing by the castle, not walking up to it.  But, a few moments later, there was no mistaking their path -- they had arrived at the gates._

_He paused, yet again, this time in deciding his course of action.  There was little doubt in his mind that the stranger was a human.  If it was a demon, they could have attacked much more forcefully than just walking up the gates and waiting to be let in.  And, of course, he sensed no scent of demon.  No, the question was if he wanted to meet with a human.  As a demon himself, he found mere mortals to be beneath him._

_But how did a mere mortal find their way to his castle without befalling any harm?_

_"I must know," he murmured as he extended his right hand, bringing out his poisonous claws.  Just in case._

_Swiftly and quietly, he leapt from his position on the balcony and landed just below, firmly onto the ground.  Shaking his head, his long white hair wafting in the wind, he brushed off his coat and began to walk forward.  "Who dares to approach my castle?" he said, his cold voice ringing throughout the night._

_But the stranger did not answer.  In fact they did nothing to acknowledge his presence at all._

_"Here me._  I am Lord of this castle and I demand that you answer my questions or else you will only meet your doom here," he stated threateningly.__

_"I am here to help."_

_He looked up sharply and almost lost the aloof expression he always wore.  For some reason, he had been almost sure that the stranger that approached his castle was male; most likely a warrior eager to catch glimpse of, and perhaps fight, the impressive demon.  But he had been wrong.  Though the stranger was cloaked so he could not see her, the voice was distinctly female._

_Ignoring the fact that his trusty nose was failing him and trying to hide any surprise he experienced when he heard her voice, he raised his own.  "You?  Help me?  Show yourself to me, wench, and I will see what you could do to help me."_

_"As you wish, my Lord._  I live to serve you," she whispered as she lowered her cloak to reveal a teenaged girl's face, framed by long raven hair.__

_"You," he whispered, raising the hand with his poisoned claws not extended, intent on touching her face as to check as if she was real._

_"Me," she murmured, leaning in to feel his touch._

_But it was not meant to be.  The second he felt the smooth flesh of her cheek, she vanished, leaving her cloak behind.  He picked up the cloak and let it slip through his fingers, watching the fluid material as it fell.  "What the--"_

Sesshoumaru awoke with a start.  "It was all a dream," he murmured to himself, as he climbed out of his bed and walked to the window.  Flying out of it, he landed out onto the balcony that he had been standing on during his dream.  _But was it a dream?  I usually don't dream at all.  Maybe that's why it seems so real to me.  Wait, though -- what's that?_

As if still in his dream Sesshoumaru jumped over the side and landed almost cat-like on the ground.  Then, with all the speed and agility that came naturally to him, he sped to the front gates and stared at the ground.  Placed at the foot of the gates as if to taunt him, was a woman's cloak.


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: Now, I haven't decided on my pairings yet.  I would really like it if you guys would vote in your reviews.  Should it be Sess/Kag or Inu/Kag?  I know how I want this to go and it could be either way :D Thanks!**

**IN MY EYES**

**CHAPTER ONE**

"Inuyasha!"

The silver-haired hanyou lifted his head sleepily and, with a golden eye, peered down from the tree where he was perched.  When he saw the impatient raven-haired girl, clad in a simple schoolgirl's uniform, tapping her foot impatiently, Inuyasha promptly shut his eyes and fell back asleep.

"Inuyasha! I know you are awake.  Get down here, now," shouted the girl, annoyance written in her dark brown eyes.

Still there was no answer -- Inuyasha slept on.

"Inuyasha!  Do you hear me?  I know you do."  She paused for a moment before debating what to do.  With Inuyasha far out of her reach, and he ignoring her calls, she was left with no choice.  "Sit, boy!"

With a sudden crash, Inuyasha fell from the tree and landed, facedown, at her feet.  After a moment's wait the half-demon rose to his feet, angrily pulling at the restraining necklace around his neck.  "Why do you always feel the need to 'sit' me, Kagome?  I was trying to get some sleep.  It wasn't easy fighting that demon last night, you know."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she walked away from him.  "Whatever you say, Inuyasha."

"Kagome, don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you.  Kagome!," he cried when she paid no heed to him and continued to walk away.  Sighing in annoyance, Inuyasha pounced after he and landed directly in front of Kagome, blocking her path.  "Kagome!  Don't you ever listen to me?"

_Have I ever before?  "No."  Kagome swerved around him and continued to walk to where she, Miroku, Sango and Shippo had set up their camp the night before._

Inuyasha growled to himself.  _Why must she pick fights with me so early in the morning?  _"Kagome, I wasn't finished with you.  Get back here."

_You wish.  "Nope, I don't think so, Inuyasha," She answered before arriving at their make-shift camp and sitting down._

"Fine.  Whatever.  It's not like I wanted to talk to you anyway.  It wasn't me that woke you up when you were dreaming.  Feh.  I'm going back to my tree."

"Inuyasha?"

"What now?," he sneered, turning back to face Kagome.

"Get your sorry butt over here and have a nice little cozy breakfast with me," Kagome said, trying to hide a smile.  She loved driving Inuyasha crazy like that and her expression did nothing to hide that fact, try as she might.

Inuyasha grumbled for a moment before walking to where Kagome was sitting, placing fruit in front of two places.  "Is that what you woke me up for, Kagome?  Breakfast?  Why didn't you just eat with Sango and the monk this morning so I could sleep?" he asked, turning his back on her so that she couldn't see the pink tinge that colored his cheeks.  _She wants to have a cozy breakfast with me?  Just me?_

Kagome, noticing that Inuyasha had turned his back on her, grabbed his fruit and crawled on her knees so as to face him.  "Here Inu--"  She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed a faraway stare in his golden eyes and his crimson cheeks.  "Ummm, are you O.K., Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shook his head and regained his pompous attitude.  "Of course, I'm O.K., why wouldn't I be?  Sheesh, sometimes I think you worry too much."

"Me?  Worry too much?  What about you, Inuyasha?  I can't go anywhere without you standing behind me making sure that I'm still there," Kagome retorted with a hint of a pout in her voice.

_Of course I have to make sure that you're still there.  What would I do if i let you get hurt?  Inuyasha pushed the thought out of his mind as a lie replaced it's place on his lips.  "Of course I have to make sure that you're still there.  I need you to find the jewel shards for me after all."_

Kagome flinched when she heard his words, but tried to make like she hadn't.  "Oh, yes.  The precious jewel pieces.  Of course they are your only concern.  How could I forget?," whispered Kagome, a definite pout in her voice, as she got up and walked a few steps away from Inuyasha before sitting back  down.

_Damn, that was definitely the wrong thing to say.  "I -- I -- never mind," he finished before crossing his arms on his chest and staring off into the forest, berating himself in thought while appearing unruffled to Kagome's eye.  __Stupid, stupid, stupid._  Don't you realize that Kagome means more to you than just a jewel shard detector?_  Inuyasha groaned inwardly.  How come he always knew what the right thing to say was inside his head, but it came out all wrong by the time it reached his lips?_

"Whatever," answered Kagome, turning her head back so as not to watch Inuyasha sit there so unbothered  while she felt so confused.  _Why must he never return my affection for him?  It's just me and him sitting here, yet he still insists he only needs me for his own purposes. Maybe I've just  been imagining the sparks that have flying between us for so long.  Maybe it is Kikyo he wants.  But what about that hug?_  Kagome hugged her knees to her chest as she remembered one of the first times she realized that she had, unknowingly and unwillingly, fallen for the half-demon dog boy.  It had been right after a fight with his brother, Sesshoumaru, that had left him severely injured.  Realizing that he wanted to protect Kagome at all costs, Inuyasha gave Kagome a tight hug goodbye before pushing her into the bone eater's well, in order to send her back to her own time.

_Yes, but didn't he use that hug as a diversion so as to steal your piece of the Shikon jewel?  Kagome bristled as a little voice in the back of head reminded her of what had happened next.  Inuyasha, knowing full well that Kagome wouldn't be able to return without any jewel shards, stole hers off of her before pushing her into the well and destroying it directly after.  __But he only did it all to protect me.  And, look, I got back here anyway, didn't I?  Well, didn't I?  "Yes, yes I did," Kagome whispered, answering her own question._

Inuyasha's brusque voice broke up her thoughts.  "Did you say something to me?"

"No, I'm not speaking to you now," Kagome replied, anxious to think of anything else than what was on her mind at the moment.  Sure, she knew she loved him -- but it hurt so much to know that he didn't feel the same way.

"Why not?," Inuyasha asked, though he knew full-well why.  _Because you're an idiot, that's why, he reminded himself, while slowly turning his head to look at Kagome._

"Because a simple jewel detector has no right to converse with the great Inuyasha, that's why.  Isn't that so?"

Inuyasha's head snapped back when he heard the biting tone of voice.  Kagome rarely talked to him like that, but, when she did, he knew he had touched a nerve deep down.  _Basically_, he said to himself, _Kagome's voice took on that sound whenever Kikyo was mentioned or the accidental cracking of the sacred jewel._  Inuyasha sat for a second, listening to the awkward silence between the two, before realizing that they had actually been alone for quite some time.  Wasn't there a lecherous monk somewhere to be found?  Or a show-off-y demon slayer?  Or an annoying little kitsune?  "Hey, Kagome?  I know you ain't talking to me right now, but where's Miroku and the others?  Why ain't they eating breakfast, too?"

"I don't know.  Myoga said he had to tell Sango and Miroku something about y-- I mean, something.  I guess their talk is taking longer than they expected."

Inuyasha paid no attention to Kagome's near slip, instead looking all the more confused.  "If that flea had something to say, why didn't he say it in front of everyone?  Imagine them walking off and leaving you all by yourself, unprotected.  Why couldn't you have gone with them.  I would have been able to finish my nap then," he finished.

"Yeah, well, I would have liked to but they told me I had to stay here and I would know in good time."  Kagome paused for a second before purposely antagonizing the hanyou.  "Besides, it was about you and someone had to make sure you didn't interrupt them in the middle of their discussion."

"What?!  They're talking about me?"  Inuyasha leapt up and looked off into the woods as if to spy them all pointing and laughing at him.  "Where are they?  I'll kill them." 

_Shoot.  I had to set him off, didn't I?  Kagome bit her lip, wishing she could take the words back.  True, Myoga had said he needed to discuss something with Miroku and Sango, but did it have to do with Inuyasha?  Kagome assumed so, but she didn't really know for sure.  _

"Where are they, Kagome?" he said, taking a few bounds in her direction so that he was standing directly next to where Kagome was sitting.  "Kag--"  he began but stopped suddenly.  His dog ears began to switch as he sniffed the area, golden eyes flashing menacingly.  Then, without another second's warning, he began to growl at Kagome.

Frightened by the sudden animal-like attitude, Kagome jumped back.  When Inuyasha didn't stop growling, instead leaping forward and pinning her to the ground so as to get a closer scent, Kagome did the only rational thing she could think of.  She screamed. __


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: Well, it looks like it's gearing towards Sess/Kag, eh?  Well, keep your votes coming!  And keep reviewing, too. *winks***

**Shout Outs: Thanks to all the reviewers!  I love you all. :D**

**IN MY EYES**

**CHAPTER TWO**

"OK, flea.  Now that you got us out here to talk, you better spill."

Myoga looked up fearfully at Sango before frowning.  "A thousand pardons, Lady Sango, but I am here to tell you and Lord Miroku about a change that will be coming over Lord Inuyasha within the coming weeks.  After all, I am nervous for Lady Kagome's safety."

"Kagome?  Is Kagome in any danger?" Miroku dropped the hand that was snaking towards Sango's read and gripped his staff.  "What can we do to help her?"

"Yes, Myoga," echoed Sango as she lifted her hand and motioned to Kirara to come to her side, "what can we do to help Kagome?"

"Please take it easy.  Lady Kagome is in no danger right now, but she might be soon.  You see, it's his instincts," Myoga said simply before settling back on a patch of grass.

"Whose instincts?" interrupted Shippo, as hopped along next to Kirara.

"Lord Inuyasha's."****

"I'm sorry, Myoga, but I don't understand.  Inuyasha would never do anything to hurt Kagome.  Why would his instincts cause him to change his mind and put Kagome in danger?" asked Sango.

"Because, Lady Sango, Lord Inuyasha is changing.  Lord Inuyasha is becoming a man."

Miroku nodded as if he understood what Myoga was saying, but Shippo and Sango just stared.  Miroku, noticing their confused expressions, tried to explain.  "Correct me if I'm wrong, Myoga, but I think that what you are saying is that it is almost time for Inuyasha to settle down and find himself a mate."

Myoga, though halfway hidden by the grass, was seen to be nodding in agreement.  "Exactly Lord Miroku.  Lord Inuyasha is coming to the point in his life where his instincts will tell him to find a mate to bear his pups."

Shippo scowled slightly when he realized what Myoga was talking about, but Sango still looked confused.  "How do you know that that time is at hand, Myoga?  Maybe you're just imagining things.  I mean, you're just a flea -- how are you so sure?"

Myoga pulled himself to his fullest height as if to prove to Sango that he wasn't "just a flea". "I may be just a flea, Lady Sango, but that's how I know that Inuyasha is changing.  I can taste it in his blood -- his body is preparing to mate."

Sango opened her mouth to ask another question, but Miroku cut her off.  "But why would Kagome be in any danger?"

"It's simple.  If Lord Inuyasha needs a mate, who do you think he's going to choose?  We all know that Lord Inuyasha is torn between the priestess Kikyo and Lady Kagome, but, when it comes to the choosing of a life-long mate, there can only be one choice he can make.  The priestess is mere clay and earth, kept alive only by stolen souls, while Lady Kagome is alive.  Therefore, it is only right that he would choose Kagome," Myoga explained, as if they all should have known this already.

Miroku nodded before repeating is question.  "But why would Kagome be in any danger?"

"Again, it's simple.  What if Lady Kagome isn't ready to be anyone's mate? Or, what if Lord Inuyasha can't exercise any control around her and lets his instincts out.  When Lord Inuyasha is seeking a mate, his youkai side will overpower his human side.  With this power, he might try to mark Lady Kagome as his without her consent.  This, in turn, might hurt Lady Kagome."

There was a thick silence among them all as Myoga's words sunk in.  Sango was the first among them to speak.  "But, Myoga, this is all guesswork, right?  We don't know for sure if Inuyasha is going to want to make Kagome his mate, just as we don't know how far he would go to force her to be if he does choose her."

Myoga bowed his head slightly in Sango's direction.  "Very true, Lady Sango.  This is all assumptions I have made from the taste of Lord Inuyasha's very sweet blood."  He paused for a moment, remembering the sweet taste of the forbidden blood; if Inuyasha ever found out that he was sampling his blood at night, he would be squashed faster than Kagome could say "sit".  "But, if they are true," he continued, remembering the importance of their morning meeting, "then Lady Kagome could very well get hurt."

Again silence overtook the group.  But, while it was Sango who broke the silence last time with her questions, it was Shippo who did so this time with a simple statement.  "Inuyasha may be mean to me, but he would never knowingly hurt Kagome."

Slowly Sango, Miroku and Myoga all began to nod in agreement.  What were they so worried about anyway?  Shippo was right, Inuyasha promised to protect Kagome -- he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.  Right?

Unfortunately for the group, though, that unasked question was left unanswered as they all rushed forward towards their camp.  As they had stood together, thinking, a high-pitched scream had filled the clearing in which they had been huddled.  A high-pitched scream that sounded an awful lot like Kagome.

***          *          ***

Sesshoumaru stood in the clearing, sniffing subtly as if to see if he was still following the correct trail.  Though it was very faint, he definitely caught a trace of his half-brother's scent.  "So you have come this way, little brother," he whispered, smiling to himself.  "And you have that human with you as well.  Good.  I am most eager to meet with her again."  Shutting his eyes, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to remember the dreams that have been haunting him for the past fortnight.  Beginning with the one where a cloaked maiden approached his castle in the far ends of his Western Lands, he had had many dreams where the same human female came and spoke with him, telling him about her amount of devotion to the Lord of the Western Lands.  Smiling warmly as she would run her hands through his silver mane, she would promise him the key to destroying Inuyasha.  And, as this human was none other than the human wench who followed Inuyasha all over the warring states, Sesshoumaru believed that what she said was true.  Which explained why he and his faithful servant, Jaken, were out on foot looking for both Inuyasha and the girl.  Sesshoumaru's cold smile widened when he allowed himself to run his plan through his mind.  The last time he had met with Inuyasha, he had definitely come off as worse; Sesshoumaru was eager to exact his revenge.

Then, suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.  _What was that?_  Tilting his head to the side ever-so-slightly, Sesshoumaru caught whiff of a very familiar scent close by, though one he wasn't looking for at the moment.  "Jaken," he called, waiting for his toad-like lackey to approach him.  When the creature came, clutching a wooden staff in his right hand, Sesshoumaru spoke again.  "Jaken, I have decided that this clearing will make an adequate campsite for the night."

Jaken nodded once to show he understood.  "Yes Lord Sesshoumaru.  I will set up camp right away."

"Good.  Very good."  He took a few steps foward before sniffing again.  That scent, that familiar scent.  It was him, Sesshoumaru was almost certain.   _Maybe I can use him for my plans this time.__  And maybe I can destroy him as I will do with my half-breed brother._

"My Lord?  Camp is set."

Sesshoumaru turned around and nodded to acknowledge Jaken's words.  "Thank you, Jaken.  I think I will retire for the night.  We have a great amount of searching to do tomorrow."

"For Inuyasha and that human?" inquired Jaken.

"No.  I have someone else I would like to find tomorrow, Jaken.  Now, if you excuse me."  Sesshoumaru walked past the confused toad before sinking down and leaning next to a tree.  Then, without another word, he shut his eyes and prepared to fall asleep.  He was eager to see what message the human brought to him that night.  After all, she had appeared every night since the initial dream, always promising to tell Sesshoumaru how he could defeat the hanyou.  Maybe tonight would be the night he was waiting for.

***          *          ***

A quiet voice cackled evilly as a lone figure watched out from underneath a massive baboon pelt.  "I think my plan is working perfectly," he sneered as he spied on the demon that slept on in front of him, before turning and wandering away.  "Sweet dreams, Sesshoumaru.  Sweet dreams."


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note: Short chapter, I know.  Well, I actually started another Inuyasha fic, so that's why.  It's called _Hidden in the Shadows if you would care to check it out :D_**

**IN MY EYES**

**CHAPTER THREE**

Jumping on top of the transformed back of Kirara, Sango, Myoga, Miroku and Shippo all sped towards the area where they had heard the scream coming from.  To their amazement, when they arrived at their camp, they saw Kagome curled up underneath a tree watching as Inuyasha tried to make his way towards her.  But Kagome was making things difficult for him; ever ytime he tried to take a step close to her, Kagome would yell "sit" and watch him fall to the ground.  Then Inuyasha would yell "Kagome" and stand up, trying to take another step close.  Once Kagome saw that he was up again, and walking, she would again yell "sit", starting the whole process over again.

"Kagome!" cried Sango as Kirara landed on the ground, separating both Inuyasha and Kagome.  Once Kirara's paws were safely   on the earth, Sango jumped off and ran to Kagome's side.  "Kagome, are you alright?  What happened?  What did that dog try to do to you?"

Kagome looked up gratefully at Sango before scowling at the spot where Miroku was hitting Inuyasha with his staff.  "I don't know, Sango.  We were just sitting here talking when Inuyasha just jumped on me and began to growl.  I crawled out from  under him and just kept yelling 'sit'."

Myoga leapt off of Kirara, shouting "I knew it" as Shippo ran over to Miroku and began to help him in hitting Inuyasha.  "Hey, what are you all doing?  Just give me a minute to explain, sheesh," Inuyasha protested, covering his head as Shippo jumped on his back.

Though Shippo kept flailing Inuyasha with his tiny fists, Miroku put down his staff and looked at Kagome.  "Kagome?  Do you want to hear his explanation?" 

Kagome shot Inuyasha a fierce glare as Sango helped her to her feet.  "Not really.  I want to hear his apology."

"Apology!" cried Inuyasha with such vigor that Shippo flew off his back and landed on his butt a few feet away.  "Why would I apologize to a wench like you?" he continued as he stood straight up and took a step forward towards Kagome.

"Sit, boy!"

_Crash._  

_Clunk._

"Miroku, if you hit me over the head with that stupid staff of yours again, I'm gonna shove it up your nose," Inuyasha mumbled, lying facedown into the earth, temporarily paralyzed from the impact of Kagome's last command.

"Serves you right, you dog," shouted Kagome, crouching down behind Sango as if to escape from the hanyou.

"Serves me right?  What about you?  It's all your fault anyway," snorted Inuyasha as he pulled himself up off the ground and remained in a sitting position.  He knew better, know, than to take another step closer to Kagome when she was this angry with him.  

"How is it my fault?  I didn't do anything at all, except make you breakfast.  Since when has that become a crime?" Kagome forgot for a moment who she was talking to as she stood up and yelled at him.

"It's not that, stupid.  It's your scent," retorted Inuyasha, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious.  "You reek!"

"Sit, boy!"

Inuyasha groaned as he felt himself crash face first back into the dirt.  "Grr, Kagome, can you _please_ stop with the 'sits'?"

Before Kagome could reply, Shippo rushed forward and pounced on top of Inuyasha's head.  "How dare you tell Kagome that she smells bad," he squeaked, hitting Inuyasha repeatedly while he was still face down in the dirt and unable to retaliate.

Kagome smirked at the sight of Shippo taking his anger out on Inuyasha's head before replying to his remark.  "Not this again, dog boy. First you hated my scent, then you said I smelt good.  Now I reek again.  Hmph.  Can't you make up your mind, already?" she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Maybe I'll make up my mind when you stop smelling like my stupid half-brother."  Inuyasha shoved Shippo away from him and pulled himself up into a sitting position, his face contorted in fury as the words he had been trying to say flew out.

"I -- huh?  Sesshoumaru?  What?"  Kagome's upset expression changed instantly into one of confusion.  "I smell like Sesshoumaru?  How?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he answered, turning his head so he no longer made eye contact with her.

Shippo recovered from being shoved away by the hanyou before pouncing over to Kagome.  _Sniff.  Sniff.  He bounced all around her, enveloping her in circles, sniffing as he ran around.  Everyone, excluding Inuyasha, watched in silence as he continued to circle Kagome, without pausing to stop.  Shippo continued to move, leaping with every other step to catch a whiff of Kagome's upper body.  Then, all of a sudden, he fell to the side, his eyes spinning like pinwheels.  "Kagome?" he whimpered._

Kagome knelt down.  "Yes, Shippo," she murmured soothingly, trying to figure out what had just happened, "are you okay?"

"Kagome?  Why do you smell like Sesshoumaru?" he asked, once the dizziness began to fade.  "It's faint, yes, but his scent is all over you."

Kagome scooped up the little kitsune in her arms and hugged him to her chest.  He may be little, but he was still a youkai which meant his sense of smell was much more sophisticated than her plain human nose.  "But, I swear, I don't know how that could have happened.  I haven't seen Sesshoumaru since the last time that he and Inuyasha had fought, and I hadn't gone near him.  How could his scent be on me?"

Inuyasha growled lowly as he flattened his ears to his head, trying to drown out Kagome's words.  Obviously, Inuyasha didn't believe her.

"Wait," interrupted Miroku, looking at Inuyasha.  Though his back remained to the group, they all noticed that his right ear perked up to hear what Miroku was going to say.  "I have a question that maybe you can answer, Shippo.  Both you and Inuyasha agree that Kagome has the hint of the youkai lord on her person.  But, do you sense it anywhere else?  Surely if Sesshoumaru was nearby, his scent would be in other places as well."

Shippo, still being held in Kagome's arms, smiled as he gave her a quick hug.  "Miroku is right, Kagome.  I can smell Sesshoumaru on you, but nowhere else."

Kagome returned the hug, keeping her eyes away from Inuyasha's back.  _Is that why he jumped me?  He smelt his brother's scent and freaked?  But why does he care anyway... Kagome pouted slightly when she remembered how many times Inuyasha had made it all too clear that he didn't care about her as more than "a jewel shard detector".  "You know what, Shippo, I think I know why.  I was wearing this uniform the last time that we ran across Sesshoumaru, before I went back to my own time.  Maybe the last time I went home to get more clothes, I grabbed this pair with me."  _Well, that could be what happened.__

Sango, who had jumped a little way in back of Kagome when Shippo had begun to run around her, catching her scent, stepped forward, approaching Inuyasha.  "I think that makes sense, Inuyasha.  Don't you?"

Inuyasha stood up slowly and finally faced them all again.  Slowly, he approached Kagome, holding his hands out to show her that he meant no harm.  Once he was right in front of her, he began to sniff.  First he would sniff her, then take a step back and sniff, then sniff Kagome once more.  _The kit was right - Kagome _was_, though very faintly, the only one carrying Sesshoumaru 's scent._ "Feh," he snorted, taking a step back.  "I think we should leave the forest for now and try to found more of the jewels."  He turned his head away from the crowd and began to walk away, leaving the rest of them to hang back and marvel over another of the hanyou's mood swings.


End file.
